The motorized miter saw is a great tool, but it does have some drawbacks — its protrusions make it awkward to carry and its bed is often too short to accommodate the work at hand. I finally built a carrying case for my Makita that solves both problems for me.
My carrying case is shown in the drawing. It’s made of 3/4-in. birch plywood, and it measures 22 in. square by 17 in. high. Its sides, front and back are all attached to the base with piano hinges. When folded away from the saw, the back becomes a dust deflector and the sides turn into sawbed extensions. The extensions rest on 3/4-in. dowel legs, which store inside the box for transport. The 1/4-in. dowel pin recessed into each leg fits snugly into a 1/4-in. hole drilled in the exterior faces of the side panels when they are being used as table extensions.
When the sides are up and the lid is in place, the box is held together by window latches on the sides and front. Altogether, the box weighs approximately 20 lb. I gladly carry the extra weight, knowing that I will have a good work surface wherever I go.
Ron Austin, Park Ridge, IL
Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #34
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A diagram is nice, but, a slideshow with a few pics would be even better.
I think what you meant to say was "When folded away from the saw, the TOP becomes a dust deflector..." not the side becomes a dust deflector. Just sayin'... I agree with user-5478428, some photos would be nice.
An extra 20 lbs is quite a bit to carry in addition to the 40 plus lbs of the saw. It is the straw that breaks the camels back...
That's a pretty good idea, 1/2" plywood would cut down some of your lbs., but still that's a good idea. You can always use a small hand truck to take it where you need to go, if it's very far, and load additional tools on top. I like it.
This idea was in the #34 Fine Homebuilding in 1986, 35 years ago. Probably the same saw was a heavier tool.
Yes for the hand truck. My partner.